With the economy in a funk and consumers looking to save as much as they can, one of the best ways to shave several percentage points off your purchase is to wait until a sales tax holiday! States started having sales tax holidays several years ago and discovered that a lot of people were taking advantage of them. It’s the perfect marriage of consumer saving money and their representatives earning brownie points for giving them that opportunity. Despite the numerous reports of state budget shortfalls, many of these sales tax holidays are still in effect. I don’t expect to see many state legislators introducing bills canceling “long” standing sales tax holidays!
There are typically three major types of sales tax holidays: hurricane preparedness, clothing and school supplies, and energy efficient appliances. Hurricane preparedness sales tax holidays usually occur in late April or May. Clothing and school supplies sales tax holidays are almost always in August, just before school starts. Energy efficient appliances are generally in the winter and have the longest periods, some as many as two months (West Virginia).

As always, residents of Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon can skip this list because they don’t have a sales tax.

The state names link to the state’s Department of Revenue or some other resource that will fully explain every last painful detail of the tax holiday in that state, such as exceptions to the tax holiday.

District of Columbia – No official announcement but it’s usually a week in August and a week in November, clothing/accessories/shoes

Florida – No sales tax holidays in Florida in 2009, they must vote on it this year and the issue wasn’t raised this year. [cancelled]

Georgia – HB 120, which would enact this year’s sales tax holiday, was sent to the governor on 4/13/2009 to be signed into law. It calls for the dates to be July 30 – August 2 on clothing October 1 – 4. [pending]

Louisiana – Usually has two sales tax holidays during the year. The first is usually the first Friday and Saturday in August (August 7 – 8 for 2009) for “tangible personal property for non-business use” for items less than $2,500. The second in the end of May is on hurricane preparedness items less than $1,500. I couldn’t find any information on the LA Dept of Revenue website on a 2009 sales tax holiday date [status unknown].

Maryland – No sales tax holiday for 2009.

Massachusetts -There was a tax holiday on Energy Star compliant products on August 15th & 16th on anything with a sale price signed into law at the end of July. There are no other sales tax holidays for 2009.

Virginia – There are three holidays for 2009 in May, August, and October. May 25-31, designated hurricane preparedness equiment priced August 7-9, back-to-school sales tax holiday on school supplies October 9-12, energy savings sales tax holiday on Energy Star Qualified products including appliances purchased for noncommercial home or personal use

Washington D.C. – November 27 – December 6, no sales tax on clothes, accessories, shoes, and school supplies on items

West Virginia – September 1 – November 30, exempts energy star products up to $5,000.

And for those of you who live in Pennsylvania, consider yourself lucky as you have a clothing and footwear sales tax holiday from January 1st to December 31st!

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